More Than a Meeting Place: Why 80% of Wingspread’s Groups Come Back

And then there are places that change the trajectory of a team.

Wingspread is the second one.

When Susan and I sat down with Heather Roose, Director of Sales at Wingspread Retreat & Executive Conference Center, for the first-ever client spotlight on The InnSync Show, I expected a good story.

I didn’t expect an 80% repeat group rate.

Let that sink in. Eight out of ten groups come back.

That’s not luck. That’s design.

From “Who Are We?” to “We’re Coming Back.”

When Wingspread launched in 2018, they didn’t have a sales team. No marketing engine. No database. No built-in awareness.

Heather says they started from scratch, asking: Who is this? Where is this place? What are they up to?

This wasn’t a repositioning exercise. This was identity creation.

And that’s where things got interesting.

Because the building was never the issue. The legacy was never the issue. The heart was already there. What they needed was clarity and amplification.

Our job at Lure was simple in theory:

Help them define the story. Then make sure the right people actually hear it.

The Story Was Always There. It Just Needed a Microphone.

Every property has a story. Most just struggle to articulate it.

For Wingspread, that meant capturing their culture on camera. Their “Meet the Team” video wasn’t about amenities. It was about people.

Heather told us it was one of the most meaningful professional pieces she’s ever been part of. The internal reaction mattered as much as the external one.

That’s when you know you’re onto something.

When your own team watches your brand story and says, That’s us.

That alignment is powerful. It creates pride internally and trust externally.

Helpful Beats Promotional. Every Time.

Hospitality sales leaders are maxed out. Admin. Site tours. BEOs. MOD shifts.

Prospecting is usually the first thing to get pushed to next month.

Instead of adding more work to Heather’s plate, we built rhythm.

Monthly touchpoint emails. Smart CRM integrations. Lead scoring that surfaces real interest instead of guesswork.

The result?

48% open rates.

25% click rates.

Industry averages are roughly half that.

The difference is intent.

When you send educational, helpful, insight-driven content instead of “just checking in” emails, people lean in.

You don’t always have to be selling. If you stay relevant and valuable, the sales follow.

The Real Differentiator Isn’t the Architecture

Yes, the property is stunning. Yes, the legacy matters.

But that’s not why 80% of groups return.

They return because of people.

Heather shared that post-event surveys regularly mention team members by name. Drivers. Breakfast servers. Conference assistants who tweaked a presentation five minutes before go-time.

That doesn’t happen by accident.

It happens when culture is intentional.

It happens when your team feels ownership.

It happens when guests feel known, not processed.

“Custom” Actually Means Custom

Too many venues say they personalize.

Wingspread lives it.

No standard banquet packet with “chicken or beef.” Menus are curated. Experiences are designed around the specific team in the room.

Even meeting flow includes intentional white space. Fifteen-minute resets. Time outside. Breathing room for real thinking.

High-performing teams don’t just need content. They need clarity. And clarity requires pause.

That philosophy is baked into the experience.

What Other Properties Should Pay Attention To

Wingspread proves something most hospitality leaders underestimate:

You do not need a massive team to create massive loyalty.

You need:

• A clear story
• Operational consistency
• Smart automation
• And a culture that puts people first

Heather said something on the show that stuck with me. She talked about the “underworld” of hospitality. The people guests don’t always see. The team below the surface that makes everything run.

That’s the magic.

Technology amplifies it. Marketing communicates it. But people deliver it.

The Real Lesson Behind the 80%

If you’re chasing more group business, pause before you invest in another flashy campaign.

Ask yourself:

• Do we know our story?
• Are we communicating it clearly?
• Are we staying top of mind in a helpful way?
• Does our team feel empowered to create memorable moments?

Wingspread didn’t grow because they got louder.

They grew because they got clearer.

And when clarity meets consistency, loyalty follows.

That’s how you build an 80% return rate.

If you’re leading a hotel or retreat center and want to build that kind of repeat momentum, let’s talk.

At Lure, we help hospitality teams turn culture into content, systems into sales, and great experiences into repeat business.

Catch the entire episode on our YouTube channel, here